Undervest.



' Patented Apr. I0, I900. J. B. PHILLIPS.

U N DE RV EST.

[Application filed Apr. 30, 1898.)

(No Model.)

MT NE 8859.-

A TTOHNE).

m: "cams PETERS c0. Pnofuurua, WASHINGYON. D. c.

JAMES B. PHILLIPS, OF NEWARK, NElV JERSEY.

U N DERVEST.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 647,154, dated April 10, 1900.

\ Application filed April 80, 1898. Serial No. 679,318. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES B. PHILLIPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, Essex county, in the State of New .Iersey,haveinvented a certain new and Improved Undervest for Ladies WVear, of which the following is a specification.

My improved garment is intended for use next the person and performs the general duties of an undershirt, usually denominated a vest. It may be of various materials. I will describe it as cotton or silk and fairly elastic.

The novelty relates to provisions for receivin gand retaining distendin g material, as pads, filling out the figure of the wearer without breaking the continuity of the surface and allowing the appearance of the figure to be retained when the wearer is partially disrobed.

The undergarment is provided at the bust portion of the front with a pocket open at the top and partially. divided at the mid-width. The front part of the pocket should be wider or differently wrought, so as to be capable of more extension laterally than the corresponding back part, in order that when the back or inner part is deflected outward by the natural form and the outer part is deflected outward more by the presence of the filling the outer and inner parts of the pocket will be about equally strained. The garment is made with a continuous and unbroken front surface without being divided vertically for fastening in the middle and without anything beyond the swelling to mark the pockets, which are formed between the outer thickness of fabric, whereof the exterior surface is continuous, as aforesaid, with the rest of the garment front, and an inner thickness of fabric. In the fullest development of the invention I also provide a specially-formed pad held reliably in place by engaging with such partial division.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and represent what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure l is a general perspective view showing the garment in use. It is intended that the peculiarity of the garment shall be entirely concealed when thus exposed. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on a larger scale. Fig. 3

is a vertical section. Fig. 4 is a front view of a portion of the garment with the pocket indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a corresponding view of the pad which I prefer to use therein. Fig. 6 represents a modification. It is an interior view showing the inner face of the pocket made in a separate piece and joined by stitching.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures where they appear.

A is the main body of the garment, of any ordinary or suitable size and form, having a continuous and unbroken surface. A A are separate thicknesses of similar material lying one upon the other, the innermost, A, having the ordinary breadth of this part and the outermost, A having a suificiently-greater breadth to allow of the required distention outward. The two thicknesses A A thus joined form a broad pocket at the front near the top, joined with the body along the line 0,- representing the outline of the bust portion. At the mid-width of the pocket the union of the thicknesses of fabric extendsupward some two-thirds of the height of the pocket, as indicated by O.

In the manufacture of the garment the upper edge of the pocket is open to allow suitable pads or filling material to be inserted and removed when required. The upper edge of the pocket may be allowed to remain open.

The lesser tension of the outer material A allows the front of the garment proper at the pocket to be distended forward by the filling material.

D is a slender neck uniting the two parts D D of one form of pad adapted to apply in the pocket, and thereby to distend the front beyond the distention due to the natural. bust. The filling material is easily inserted and re moved. The form of pad shown is kept in place laterally by the engagement of its narrow neck D and the adjacent edges of the portions D D with the dividing-ridge C, so as to bridge it over. The padding may be made of various materials, including curled hair of a light shade.

Modifications may be made without departing from the principles or sacrificing the advantages of the invention. The open top of the pocket may be closed by buttons or other ordinary fastenings, if required in any case.

ordinary nndervest, but presenting the gracefully-swelled contour of the figure, which will remain after the other portions of the clothing, including the corset, are removed. Insignificant labor is required to remove and replace the padding to allow of laundering. When inserted, the pads are kept in place without fastening. They remain in place while disrobing and again putting on the garment. The thickness of fabric forming the pockets can be united in any ordinary or suitable Way. In Fig. 6 an inner thickness of fabric is shown united to the body of the garment by a line of stitches.

I claim as my invention 1. A ladys elastic knit nndervest having in front pockets formed of an outer thickness of elastic knit fabric and an inner thickness of fabric, the outer thickness being more distensible than the inner, substantially as described.

2. The undergarment described, having its main body of a single thickness, and the portion for the bust of two separate fabrics joined at the line 0 along the bottom and sides, and also for a portion of the height 0 at the midwidth, in combination with a separatelyformed pad D, D, D partially divided at the mid -Width, all substantially as herein specified.

3. A ladys elastic knit vest having a continuous andunbroken front surface and on each side of the middle a pocket formed between an inner thickness of fabric and the outer thickness whose exterior surface is continuous with that of the rest of the garment front, both thicknesses of fabric forming the pocket being of elastic knit material, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES B. PHILLIPS.

Witnesses:

J. B. CLAUTICE, M. F. BOYLE. 

